Pyrolysis methods and apparatus

A fast pyrolysis apparatus for producing pyrolysis liquid, char and pyrolysis gas from biomass, comprising:

• a centrifuge chamber delimited by an inner wall and an outer wall;
• an inlet through which biomass can be fed into the centrifuge chamber;
• a rotor arranged to impart rotation biomass distributed in gas volume in the centrifuge chamber to force the biomass towards the outer wall under the action of centrifugal forces, the rotor being arranged to rotate at a speed sufficient to ensure that said centrifugal forces provide an even pressure of biomass against said outer wall of the centrifuge chamber;
• a heating system for maintaining said outer wall at a temperature of 350-700 degrees Celsius to effect the pyrolysis process at or near the outer wall of the centrifuge chamber and to thereby decompose the biomass into char and pyrolysis vapors, which can be condensed to form pyrolysis liquid and pyrolysis gas;
• a char conveyor for conveying the char away from the centrifuge chamber;
• and wherein:
• the inner wall of the centrifuge chamber is permeable to said pyrolysis vapors.